Legal Opinion
Clayton Tanksley v. Lee Daniels
Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Decided August 28, 2018No. 17-2023PublishedCited by 86 opinions
1Opinion of the Court
FISHER, Circuit Judge.
Clayton Prince Tanksley is an actor and producer who lives in Philadelphia. In 2005, he created a three-episode television pilot, Cream , for which he received a copyright. In 2015, Fox Television debuted a new series, Empire , from award-winning producer and director Lee Daniels. Shortly thereafter, Tanksley filed suit, claiming that Empire infringed on his copyright of Cream . The District Court found no substantial similarity between the two shows and dismissed Tanksley's complaint. For the reasons stated below, we will affirm.
I
A. Factual Background
In 2005, Tanksley…
2Cases cited34 opinions
- In Re Burlington Coat Factory Securities Litigation. P. Gregory Buchanan, Jacob Turner and Ronald AbramoffCourt of Appeals for the Third Circuit · 1997
- Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co.Supreme Court of the United States · 1991
- Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc. v. Nation EnterprisesSupreme Court of the United States · 1985
- Quinn v. Syracuse Model Neighborhood Corp.Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit · 1980
- Peter Pan Fabrics, Inc. And Henry Glass & Co. v. Martin Weiner Corp.Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit · 1960
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3Cited by86 opinions
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